PETALING JAYA: A total of 8.7 million recipients of the Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia (BKM) scheme, consisting of households, senior citizens and singles, as well as those whose appeals have been approved, are set to benefit from the payment totalling RM2.2bil, says Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

BKM is a direct cash aid initiative announced in Budget 2022 to benefit the B40 group.

The Prime Minister said the payment for the third phase of BKM and the appeal would be credited in stages from Sept 20 to 27.

Recipients of BKM Phase 3 will receive up to RM900.

“The remaining 80,000 applicants whose BKM appeal has been approved will receive up to RM2,350 according to their categories of eligibility, which also includes the additional cash aid announced by the government last June,” he said in a statement yesterday.

He said the government had always prioritised the welfare of the Malaysian Family, especially now as the country is facing the challenge of rising inflation and geopolitical crises, which had impacted the global supply chain.

“The government remains committed to ensuring the wellbeing of the Malaysian Family, especially the target groups, through social security, which will also continue to be a focus in Budget 2023,” said Ismail Sabri.

As of September, a total of RM5.9bil had been channelled to BKM recipients. Another RM2.1bil will be disbursed to those eligible in the fourth phase scheduled in December.

The status of the payment can be checked at https://bkm.hasil.gov.my from Sept 20.